Skilyr Hicks, a singer who appeared as a contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” has died, her sister said. She was 23.
“Monday night December 6th, 2021 will be a day I’ll never be able to forget. My sister, Skilyr Hicks passed away,” Breelyn Hicks wrote Wednesday on Facebook. “My super beautiful, extremely talented, hilarious, free spirit of a sister left this world to be with Jesus. I can’t possibly put into words how broken-hearted I am.”
Hicks went on to describe her sister's impact and deep love for music.
“I will miss her like crazy,” she wrote. “I’ll miss her voice, her long warm hugs, her constantly making jokes using puns. Her ability to create music that inspired thousands of people. She had so much life left to live.
“Skilyr, I don’t know how I’ll be able to live without you. You were a light that shown brighter than ever. You were my best friend, you were my rock. We always had each other’s back no matter what. Just know that I love you unconditionally, That you will live on in our hearts, minds, memories, and through your God Given Musical Ability. Your Songs are your legacy. Fly High, Little Bird.”
Hicks was found dead at a home in Liberty, South Carolina, according to a police report obtained by NBC News. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said it believes she died from a “possible drug overdose.”
Hicks burst on the scene in 2013 as a 14-year-old competing on the eighth season of “America’s Got Talent.” She auditioned with an original song, telling the judges she began playing music after the death of her father.
“He made some bad decisions, and I hadn’t seen him in a few years,” Hicks said on the show. “Last time I saw him, I remember driving away, and he was crying.”
“I would imagine that some place, your father hears your words and is watching you and is just glowing with pride,” judge Howie Mandel said after her performance. She failed to make the live rounds of the competition.
Hicks encountered some legal issues since appearing on "AGT." She was arrested in 2017 after attacking multiple family members, NBC affiliate WRDW reported. She was also arrested for underage drinking in 2018, TMZ reported.